Personal care dispenser

ABSTRACT

A personal care dispenser with an outer shell defining an opening at a first end. A lid mounted to the first end. The lid having an open position and a closed position. A dispenser sleeve slidably positioned within the opening. The dispenser sleeve having a base at a first end of the dispenser sleeve and a pull tab at a second opposing end of the dispenser sleeve.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to primary packaging, and more particular primary packaging adapted to contain and dispense a solid personal care article.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many personal care and other consumer products, including shampoos, conditioners, and body washes, in the market today are sold in liquid form. While widely used, liquid personal care products often have tradeoffs. For example, liquid personal care products are typically sold in plastic bottles that add significant cost as well as packaging waste. Also, these products are generally formulated with a substantial amount of water (e.g. ˜80% or more), preservatives, and stabilizers, that add significant bulk and translates to inefficient, costly shipping and storage. Furthermore, liquid personal care products can also be difficult to use in terms of controlling dosage and the delivery of the product.

In order to overcome some of these drawbacks, it can be desirable to formulate personal care products as solid structures that can include dissolvable films, compressed powders in a solid, fibrous structures, porous foams, soluble deformable solids, powders, bars or prills. However, many of these executions are not ideal for consumers. For example, some products including many bars or prills, do not hydrate and dissolve fast enough when exposed to water to satisfy the consumer's desire to quickly apply a homogeneous liquid product to the hair, scalp, and/or body, without undue effort to dissolve the product.

Solid articles containing fibrous structures or porous foams can be lightweight, substantially free of water, and can provide faster dissolution than other solid forms. However, shipping, handling, and storage can damage these articles. First, many articles containing fibrous structures or porous films can be hygroscopic and therefore easily absorb humidity from the environment. If the product absorbs too much water it can be a gummy mess or alternatively, become difficult to dissolve with water. This makes storage problematic, since personal care products, including shampoos, conditioners, and body washes, are frequently stored in the shower or bathroom, they are regularly subjected to water and humidity. Furthermore, articles containing fibrous structures and/or porous foams are compressible, making shipping, handling, storage and dispensing problematic.

Therefore, there is a need for a primary package for an article formed from a fibrous structure or porous foam that protects the personal care article from moisture, compression, and is more sustainable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention features, in general, a personal care dispenser with an outer shell defining an opening at a first end. A lid mounted to the first end. The lid having an open position and a closed position. A dispenser sleeve slidably positioned within the opening. The dispenser sleeve having a base at a first end of the dispenser sleeve and a pull tab at a second opposing end of the dispenser sleeve.

In another aspect, the invention features, in general, a personal care dispenser having an outer shell having a top surface defining an opening and an opposing bottom surface. The opening is dimensioned to receive a plurality of personal care articles. A closure mounted to the top surface, the closure having an open position and a closed position. A container is removably mounted to the bottom surface of the outer shell. The container defines a cavity dimensioned to hold one or more personal care articles. A closure mounted to a top surface of the container covering the cavity.

In yet another aspect, the invention features, in general, a method of assembling a personal care dispenser by providing an outer shell. A plurality of personal care articles are mounted on a dispenser sleeve. The dispenser sleeve is slidably positioned within an opening of the outer shell. A lid is mounted over the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter of the present invention, it is believed that the invention can be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a personal care dispenser in a closed position.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the personal care dispenser of FIG. 1 in an open position.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of the personal care dispenser of FIG. 1 with a sleeve in a first position.

FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of the personal care dispenser of FIG. 1 with a sleeve in a first position.

FIG. 3 is an assembly view of the personal care dispenser.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the personal care dispenser having a removable container.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the personal care dispenser and the container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It can be desirable to form personal care articles, such as shave prep, shampoo, conditioners, and body washes, in a solid form. A solid form can be advantageous for several reasons. First, solid products do not need to be removed from luggage at security checkpoints at airports, as required for liquid personal care products. Second, solid products can be substantially free of water, making these products more environmentally friendly, efficient and cost effective to ship and store. Additionally, solid products, especially unit dose solid products, are easy to dose and can practically eliminate wasted product inside the primary package. Furthermore, consumers are looking for ways to reduce waste and plastic bottles add significant cost as well as packaging waste and consumers may be interested in plastic packaging that is recyclable.

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, perspective views of a personal care dispenser 10 is illustrated in a closed position and an open position, respectively. The personal care dispenser 10 may include a body 12 having an outer shell 14 with a base 16. In certain embodiments, the body 12 may comprise a durable material such as an engineering plastic, such as polycarbonate, and/or a metal, or a metal alloy, such as steel, aluminum, tin, or combinations thereof. The body 12 may provide a sturdy, multi-use container that protects any articles stored within the body 12. The material of the body 12 may serve as a convenient travel case that can be reused. In other embodiments, the body 12 may include paper based materials that can be recycled. A first end 18 of the outer shell 14 may define an opening 20 configured to receive a plurality of personal care articles 22. The personal care articles 22 may include, but not limited to shave preps, shampoos, conditioners, or body washes in a solid form that dissolve when exposed to water and mixed or agitated in the consumers hands prior to or during application. If the personal care articles 22 are compressed too much during handling and storage, they may not have consumer acceptable properties in regards the time, water and agitation needed to break them down into an acceptable liquid form. The personal care articles 22 may be in the shape of a circle, square or rectangular pad; however, numerous other shapes are also possible. A lid 24 may be mounted to the first end 18 of the outer shell 14. An inner surface 26 of the lid 24 may define a recess 28 that is dimensioned to receive a dispenser sleeve 30. For example, a portion of the dispenser sleeve 30, such as a pull tab 32, may extend out of the opening 20 and beyond the first end 18 of the outer shell 14. The lid 24 may have an open position and a closed position. Accordingly, the recess 28 may help prevent the pull tab 32 from being crushed when the lid 24 is in the closed position. The dispenser sleeve 30 may be positioned within the opening 20 of the outer shell 14. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the dispenser sleeve 30 may facilitate the dispensing of the personal care articles 22.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, enlarged views of the personal care dispenser 10 in an open position are illustrated. As shown in FIG. 2A, the dispenser sleeve 30 may have a first position to facilitate closing of the lid 24. As shown in FIG. 2B, the dispenser sleeve 30 may have a second position to facilitate dispensing of the personal care articles 22. The dispenser sleeve 30 may slide within the outer shell 14 between the first position and the second position. The pull tab 32 may extend from a first end 34 of the dispenser sleeve 30. In the first position, first end 34 of the dispenser sleeve 30 may be positioned closer to the first end 18 of the outer shell 14 compared to the second position. The first end 34 of the dispenser sleeve 30 may be flush with or slightly below the first end 18 of the outer shell 14, in the first position (FIG. 2A). In the second position (FIG. 2B), the first end 34 of the dispenser sleeve 30 may be positioned above the first end 18 of the outer shell 14. The dispenser sleeve 30 may have a friction fit within the outer shell 14. Accordingly, the dispenser sleeve 30 may remain in the second position until a consumer pushed the dispenser sleeve 30 back down into the outer shell 14. The friction fit may further facilitate access to the personal care articles 22. For example, the dispenser sleeve 30 does not fall back down into the outer shell 14 unless the consumer pushes it back to the first position.

The personal care articles 22 containing fibrous structures or porous foams can be hygroscopic and therefore can easily absorb humidity from the environment. Since these personal care 22 are frequently stored in the bathroom or shower, which has a high relative humidity, as compared to other climate-controlled areas of a consumer's home, it is important that the primary package protects the article from the humidity. Once the dispenser sleeve 30 is in the first position, the consumer may close the lid 24. The lid 24 may help prevent moisture from entering the personal care dispenser 10. Excess moisture may cause the personal care articles 22 to break down within the personal care dispenser, which may result in the personal care articles 22 sticking to each other and/or reducing the effectiveness of the skin benefits of the personal care articles 22 when they are used. In certain embodiments, the dispenser sleeve 30 may be completely removed from the outer shell 14. For example, once the personal care articles 22 are all used, the dispenser sleeve 30 may be removed and replaced with a new dispenser sleeve 30 with new personal care articles 22. Accordingly, the outer shell 14 may be reused to improve sustainability. In certain embodiments, the new dispenser sleeve 30 may be provided within a sealed plastic film to prevent exposure to moisture.

Articles containing fibrous structures and/or porous foams are compressible. These personal care articles 22 are shipped, transported to the store/storage facility, and stored by the consumer. Since these personal care articles 22 are unit dose products, it is common for consumers to carry these products in their purse, gym bag, or suitcase, subjecting the article to further damage. The primary package can be subjected inside a purse or gym bag. If the article is compressed too much, it will not return to its original structure, which can impact the dissolution rate.

Referring to FIG. 3 , an assembly view of the personal care dispenser 10 is illustrated. The dispenser sleeve 30 may help keep the personal care articles 22 separated and help minimizing the personal care articles 22 being compressed. The dispenser sleeve 30 may have a rear wall 36 that extends between a base 38 at a second end 40 and the first end 34 (e.g., pull tab 32). In the first position, the base 38 may rest on an inner bottom surface 42 of the outer shell 14. A pair of opposing side walls 44 and 46 may interconnect the base 38 and the rear wall 36. Accordingly, a front portion 48 of the dispenser sleeve 30 may be open (e.g., no front wall opposite the rear wall 36) to allow for easy access to the personal care articles 22.

In certain embodiments, the dispenser sleeve 30 may include a plurality of spaced apart platforms 50. The platforms 50 may extend from the rear wall 36 toward the front portion 48 of the dispenser sleeve 30. One of the personal care articles 22 may be positioned between two of the spaced apart platforms 50. Accordingly, each article 22 may be at least partially separated from another one of the personal care articles 22 by one of the platforms 50 on a top surface 52 of the personal care article 22 and another platform on a bottom surface 54 of the article 22. It is understood that the bottom most personal care article 22 may be positioned between one of the platforms 50 and the base 38. Furthermore, the upper most personal care article 22 may not need a platform 50 on its top surface 52. The platforms 50 may facilitate separation of the personal care articles 22, which may have a tendency to adhere to one another.

The platforms 50 may have a width “w1” that is less than a width “w2” of the rear wall 36. For example, the width “w1” may extend between the side walls 44 and 46 and may be about 20% to about 90% less than “w2” to facilitate removal of the personal care articles 22. The platforms 50 may have a depth “d1” extending from the rear wall 36 toward the front portion 48 that is less than a depth “d2” of the side walls 44 and 46. The platforms 50 may be transverse to the rear wall 36 and the side walls 44 and 46. If the platforms 50 are too large, they may interfere with access to the personal care articles 22. In certain embodiments, the platforms 50 may have a perforated region 56 that allows the platforms 50 to be torn off (e.g., after one of the personal care articles 22 is removed). Accordingly, if the platforms 50 are no longer separating one of the personal care personal care articles 22, the platforms 50 can be removed to allow for easier access to the other personal care articles 22. In certain embodiments, the rear wall 36, the side walls 44 and 46 and/or the base 38 may have a thickness “t1 that is greater than a thickness “t2” of the platforms 50. Accordingly, the rear wall 36, the side walls 44 and 46 and/or the base 38 may be more rigid to contain and support the personal care articles 22. The platforms 50 may be a part of a separate component that is attached to the dispenser sleeve 30 by heat sealing or with an adhesive. The rear wall 36, the side walls 44 and 46 and the base 38 may be constructed from a single sheet of paper based material (e.g., paperboard) or other sustainable material. The outer shell 14 may be made from a polymeric material or metal, thus allowing the outer shell 14 to be reused (e.g., only the inner sleeve 30 with new personal care articles 22 is replaced) for greater sustainability.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , one possible embodiment is shown of the personal care dispenser 10 having a container 58 that is separable from the outer shell 14. As shown in FIG. 4 , the outer shell 14 may have an outer bottom surface 60 that defines a recess 62 (e.g., a slot) that engages a corresponding feature on the container 58. The recess 62 may allow the outer shell 14 to rest in a stable position on a flat surface with the container 58 removed, as shown in FIG. 5 . The container 58 may be used to hold a limited number of the personal care articles 22. For example, the container 58 may be dimensioned to hold three to ten of the articles 22. Accordingly, the container 58 may define a cavity 64 dimensioned to receive a plurality of the personal care articles 22. The container 58 may be smaller than the outer shell 14 and thus may conveniently fit into a gym bag or a toiletry bag. For example, the container 58 may have a height “h1” from a top surface 66 of the container 58 to a bottom surface 68 of the container 58 that is about 70% to 90% less than a height “h2” extending from the first end 18 of the outer shell 14 the outer bottom surface 60 of the outer shell 14. A closure 70 may be mounted to the top surface 66 of the container 58 covering the cavity 64. The closure 70 may have a top surface with a protrusion 72 configured to slidably engage the recess 62 of the outer shell 14, thus securing the container 58 to the outer shell 14. The closure 70 may help prevent the personal care articles 22 from being compressed or exposed to moisture. The cavity 64 may be filled with personal care articles 22 by the manufacturer or the cavity 64 may be provided empty. In certain embodiments an outer surface 74 of the outer shell 14 and an outer surface 76 of the container 58 may be different colors to communicate to a consumer the two components are separable.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm” Furthermore, dimensions should not be held to an impossibly high standard of metaphysical identity that does not allow for discrepancies due to typical manufacturing tolerances. Therefore, the term “about” should be interpreted as being within typical manufacturing tolerances.

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention. 

1. A personal care dispenser comprising: an outer shell defining an opening at a first end; a lid mounted to the first end, the lid having an open position and a closed position; a dispenser sleeve slidably positioned within the opening, the dispenser sleeve having a base at a first end of the dispenser sleeve and a pull tab at a second opposing end of the dispenser sleeve.
 2. The personal care dispenser of claim 1 wherein the dispenser sleeve comprises a rear wall extending between the base and the pull tab.
 3. The personal care dispenser of claim 2 wherein the dispenser sleeve comprises a plurality of spaced apart platforms extending from the rear wall.
 4. The personal care dispenser of claim 3 wherein the plurality of platforms are transverse to the rear wall.
 5. The personal care dispenser of claim 1 wherein the pull tab is positioned above the top surface of the outer shell.
 6. The personal care dispenser of claim 3 wherein the plurality of platforms each has perforated region toward the rear wall.
 7. The personal care dispenser of claim 1 wherein the pull tab is spaced apart from the lid in the open position and the closed position.
 8. The personal care dispenser of claim 3 wherein the rear wall has a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the platforms.
 9. The personal care dispenser of claim 3 wherein the base of the dispenser sleeve is greater than a thickness of the platforms.
 10. The personal care dispenser of claim 1 wherein the dispenser sleeve comprises a paper based material.
 11. The personal care dispenser of claim 10 wherein the outer shell comprises a polymeric material.
 12. A personal care dispenser comprising: an outer shell having a top surface defining an opening and an opposing bottom surface, the opening dimensioned to receive a plurality of personal care items; a closure mounted to the top surface, the closure having an open position and a closed position; a container removably mounted to the bottom surface of the outer shell, the container defining a cavity dimensioned to hold one or more personal care items and a closure mounted to a top surface of the container covering the cavity.
 13. The personal care dispenser of claim 12 wherein the outer shell has a height that is greater than a height of the container.
 14. The personal care dispenser of claim 12 wherein the a top surface of the closure includes a protrusion configured to engage a recess on the bottom surface of the outer shell.
 15. The personal care dispenser of claim 12 wherein a top surface of the lid slidably engages the bottom surface of the outer shell.
 16. The personal care dispenser of claim 12 wherein a color of the outer shell is different than a color of the container.
 17. A method of assembling a personal care dispenser comprising: providing an outer shell; mounting a plurality of personal care articles on a dispenser sleeve; slidably positioning the dispenser sleeve within an opening of the outer shell; and mounting a lid over the opening.
 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising positioning a platform in between an adjacent pair of the personal care articles.
 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising mounting a container defining a cavity configured to receive a plurality of personal care articles to a bottom surface of the outer shell.
 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising mounting a closure over the cavity. 